Sometimes
by Kamen Rider Lynx
Summary: Little one-shots from Shattered Mirror. Chapter 7: Dying isn't all that bad. In fact, it makes a certain Rider find things he'd lost for years.
1. Sick Day

Hey, everyone! I've been finding myself bored these past few weeks and have come up with some little one-shots for Shattered Mirror. I decided that they have a place here on , and I hope that you all enjoy them. I'll try to post which chapters they apply to, but if I don't, then they may apply to any of the chapters. This first one can happen anywhere between chapters one and three, I'd say. I still don't own KRDK, but enjoy!

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Sick Day (Lyra's POV)

"Achoo!" Chris and Kit turned to look at me, sniffling and coughing every few seconds. Their eyes were furrowed with concern, and I glowered at them as best as I could, which was probably not all that well. My eyes were red and watery from my stupid allergies, and I rubbed my eyes angrily, trying to dry them.

"Lyra, are you sure you're all right? I mean, I know you have allergies, but…." Kit trailed off, and I knew what he's thinking.

"I've never had them this bad before." I let myself flop backwards on the couch, putting an arm over my eyes. Great, now I had a headache to add to the list.

"Where did you say you lived before this?" Chris inquired, and I glanced at him briefly.

"Virginia. It's impossible to grow up there and not have allergies." I sniffed again, moaning softly when I realized that my sense of smell was now completely shot. Yahoo.

I stood, planning on getting some of the Benadryl out of the medicine cupboard. Or at least, that was the idea. I swayed violently, and Kit caught me by the elbow, gently pushing me back down onto the couch. "What do you need?" He hovered over me like he had when we were little, making it hard for me to remember that he had no clue that he was my brother.

"Benadryl," was all I managed to get out before I succumbed to a coughing fit again, my body curling up into a ball as I waited for the coughs to settle down. I felt hands gently pull me out of the ball, and Kit pushed me back onto the couch.

"Here." He pushed the small purple pill into my hand, and I ate it, chewing it and wincing at the strong taste. Ugh. I'd never liked that stuff.

A mirror call rang out right after, and I started to stand, feeling a bit better, but not well enough to fight. I was actually pleased when Kit and Chris both pushed me down.

"Lyra, you're staying here. Rest up," Chris ordered, and I glowered up at him, pretending to be agitated.

"You're not my father."

"Yeah, but we're your friends. Get some rest, Lyra," Kit said softly. "We can't have you in the hospital."

"You can't be hospitalized for allergies," I argued weakly, but I knew he was right. I felt him brush my hair out of my face and was surprised when I felt a soft kiss get placed on my forehead.

"Sleep," Kit whispered, and then I heard the pair leave through the mirrors.

I must've fallen asleep because when I woke up, I was in Kit's arms, being carried to my room. He set me on the bed gently, pulling the covers over me. I protested feebly, but he gently shushed me.

"Lyra, relax. If you're right and these are only allergies, you'll be back up to speed in no time. If not, we'll deal with that too. You need to rest," Kit murmured, sitting on the edge of the bed and brushing my hair out of my face.

I looked at him, seeing the brother that I had known before for a moment. I stopped arguing, simply unable to find the strength to. Kit ran his fingers through my hair for a few more minutes before he stopped, placing another gentle kiss on my forehead.

"Rest up, Lyra. You've earned a sick day," was the last thing I heard before I fell into the peace of sleep.


	2. Nightmares

This little one-shot probably occurs during Chapters 1 and 2, when Kit has just met Lyra. Enjoy! (And I still don't own KRDK!)

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Nightmares (Kit's POV)

The whimpering pulled me out of my nightmarish dreams. I sat up, still groggy, and focused on which room it was coming from. I was surprised when I realized that it was coming from Lyra's room.

Standing, I swayed slightly and turned on the light. I blinked rapidly, waiting for my eyes to adjust to the light. Then, I walked out, heading towards Lyra's room. The whimpering increased to the point where it was almost a soft scream, and I frowned in concern. What, for Void's sake, could she be dreaming about that scared her so badly?

I knocked, knowing that it wouldn't really matter. When I didn't get a response, I walked in and saw her tossing, kicking her blankets off in a panic. I walked rapidly to her side, gently catching her by the shoulders.

"Lyra, wake up!" I said softly, not wanting to wake Chris. He didn't need to get involved.

"No…Let him go…brother," Lyra moaned, struggling, trying to get out of my grip. I didn't know who she was talking to, but it didn't sound like she was having fun.

Glancing around, I noticed that there was a glass of water on the bedside table. Out of options, I grabbed it, splashing the still-cold water on Lyra. She jerked upright, spluttering, and her wet hair clung to her face as her head whipped from side to side, trying to figure out what had happened. Her eyes finally settled on me, and I saw confusion on her face.

"What? Kit…Aw man, I didn't wake you up, did I?" Her voice was filled with annoyance, and I could hear a hint of embarrassment in her voice as well. I sat on the edge of her bed, chuckling softly.

"You woke me up from my own nightmare, for which I am grateful, by the way," I said gently. She sighed, shaking her head, and I saw her eyes glaze over for a moment as she stared at the wall, her breathing slowing as she calmed. It was like she was remembering the past, which she probably was.

"Damn." The word surprised me. "I wish they'd just leave me alone."

"What?" Okay, stupid question. The look I got told me that.

"The nightmares. I've had them for ages….Ugh." She moaned and rolled over, stubbornly ignoring the fact that her blanket and shirt were now soaking wet and cold.

"Come on," I said, rolling her back over and getting raised eyebrows in return. "Go and change in the bathroom. I'll change your sheets."

If possible, she raised her eyebrows even higher. Then, she glanced at the clock. "I'll just go ahead and get up, since it is quarter to five."

I glanced at her clock, surprised to see that she was right. I would've woken up in a few minutes anyway. "Alright, fine. You win. I'll come and change the sheets later."

"Whenever. I'll change them if you don't." Something about that made a memory flicker through my mind, and I was almost certain that it wasn't mine.

_"Oh come on, Kiki. I'll do it."_

_"Nah, I'll do it later."_

_"You always say that!"_

"Kit? Earth to the Rider!" I started, seeing the Lyra was waving her hand in front of my face. "You with me?"

"Yeah," I responded, shaking my head to clear it. "I'm going to go get cleaned up."

"Sounds like a good idea." I walked out of the room, still a bit confused from the brief memory. Even thought I was convinced that it wasn't mine, I couldn't shake the feeling that it was connected to me.

_But who, just who, would call me Kiki?_


	3. Mirror Twins

Alright, everyone, this is the last chapter before a very special arc begins. It'll be a humorous arc, and I hope to have the first chapter up by the end of next week, that is, if I've posted Chapter 8 of Shattered Mirror by then. If not, bear with me, because the wait will most definately be worth it!

This happens when Kit is still unconscious after his fight with James and Drew. Enjoy! (Don't own KRDK.)

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Mirror Twins (Chris' POV)

Kit was right when he told me that meeting your mirror twin was an odd experience. The moment I saw Quinn, I felt like I was seeing myself. Quinn looked a bit different, sure, but it still seemed odd. I had heard that Quinn gone to boot camp before he was trained by Master Eubulon, which reminded me of my time in boot camp before my asthma acted up, forcing me to drop out.

It was late at night when I first talked with Quinn. I walked out to one of the balconies, still worried about Kit. He was unconscious still, and Master Eubulon said that there was no chance of him waking up anytime soon. I sighed, looking at one of the pictures that had been taken within the past week of Kit, Lyra, and I. Frowning, I noticed that Lyra looked a lot like Kit, briefly wondering if there might be some connection. Then, I set that thought aside, sensing that someone was coming up behind me.

"So, you're Chris." I turned, seeing my mirror twin walk up behind me. He was wearing the standard Kamen Rider uniform, all black with the Sting symbol on the chest. It felt odd, knowing that he was now Kamen Rider Sting again. I remembered when I had been Sting, still listening to Xaviax. Inwardly, I winced. Those hadn't been the best of times.

"That's what I've been called," I replied casually. Quinn leaned on the balcony next to me, folding his arms. He looked at me, and I glanced at him, curious as to why he was here. "Something up?"

"No. It's just nice to finally get to meet my Earth counterpart. Len spoke very highly of you, and I was pleased that I was one of the few who had the luck of having an honorable mirror twin."

I flustered at that. "He didn't tell you about how I fought for Xaviax at first, then?"

"Oh, he told me." Quinn gave me a gentle smile. "But from what Len told me, you couldn't have had a chance of knowing. It isn't your fault. And hey, you came over to our side in the end, and that's what matters."

"Really?" I had to admit that I was skeptical. I still felt guilty for believing Xaviax at first.

"Really. Chris, you were just trying to impress your father and give him a reason to be proud of you. Believe me, my father was furious when he found out I couldn't join the Marines, much like your case, as I've heard. When I was offered the chance to be trained and have my asthma cured, I leapt for it. You have nothing to be ashamed of."

I looked down, knowing in my heart that he was right. But that didn't change my feelings for the matter. "Yeah, but you weren't given the Deck by Xaviax. I was the one who made the careless mistake of trusting him."

Quinn chuckled softly, his face sympathetic. "Yeah, you did. But you were just trying to do the right thing and defend your country." He leaned forward, whispering, "To be honest, if I had been in your position, I think that I would've done the same thing as well."

I jerked away, staring at him in stunned shock. Quinn gave me a small smile before clapping me on the back. "Chris, you made a mistake. Don't let that shadow the rest of your Rider days. Believe me, you've earned the right to fight as a Kamen Rider. I highly doubt that you would be one again if someone didn't approve of your actions."

I felt fur brush my side, and Quinn and I looked down to see my Advent Beast, Hyliex. _**"He's right. I wouldn't have chosen you if I didn't think you had the abilities or the heart to fight to keep Earth and Ventarra safe."**_

He projected the words to both of us, and Quinn gave me a pointed look. "See? Hyliex agrees with me." He patted my shoulder again, walking to the door. Calling over his shoulder, he said, "Oh, and Master Eubulon said that he wants a word with you when you get the chance."

I smiled as Hyliex shifted his size, leaping into my arms and rubbing against me. I felt a weight that I hadn't even known was there get lifted from my shoulders, sighing as I realized that Quinn was right.

_**Geez. I guess Kit really wasn't kidding when he said that your mirror twins can see through you.**_

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Hyliex is pronounced - High-lee-ex.


	4. Prank War 1: Revenge

Hey, everyone! I mentioned this in the last chapter, and here it is! The first chapter of the Prank War Arc. I don't own KRDK. WARNING: May become a victim of uncontrollable laughter. (I did.) Enjoy!

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Revenge (Lyra's POV)

_**Kit was as good as dead when I got my hands on him.**_

I stormed through the halls of the Rider Base, infuriated with my older brother. _**He is going to die, I am going to kill him!**_

_**"Oh don't be so dramatic, Lyra. You can get revenge without killing him."**_ Akeona sounded rather bored, and if she hadn't been in the Advent Void at the time, I would've gone after her too. Reaching the room I shared with him, I yanked the door open violently and was glad that he wasn't in there. If he had been, he might've found himself waking up in the Infirmary.

Earlier, I had been trying to hide from Kase, Maya, and Sara. They had wanted to get me into a salon for a whole new do. "Not happening," was what I'd said, and they'd chased me all around the Base for at least three hours before I had found myself hiding in my own room, begging my brother not to betray my hiding spot. Kit had agreed, but I should've seen the mischievous twinkle in his eyes. When the three older girls had walked in, he had said that he had no clue where I was, only to pause and seem to remember.

"Oh, she's under my bed." The three girls had hauled me out from under the bed as I fought like crazy, pleading with my brother through the Advent Bond. Kit had merely laughed.

So now, here I was, looking like a _**complete**_ idiot and dying for revenge. Kit was going to regret betraying me to the girls. But how to make him wish he hadn't…Hm. I wasn't pleased with the girls right now, but maybe they could help me out. Once I'd gotten all of the dumb makeup off and had taken a brush to my now-spiky, just past chin-length hair.

_**I look like Sakura Haruno from Naruto. That is the last time I let the girls ever get their hands on me to take me to get a new do.**_

"Aw, you took the makeup off!" Sara pouted, and I rolled my eyes.

* * *

"Yeah, I did. Look, I need you three's help." Maya and Kase looked at me curiously, and Kase must've seen the slightly mischievous look on my face.

"What are you planning on doing to poor Kit for betraying you?" Her voice was full of mirth, and I sat down on the couch next to her.

"That's just that. I have no clue what I could do. I need y'alls help. What could I do to get revenge?" Kase, Maya, and Sara thought about that, and Maya responded first.

"Well, I can think of one thing that would most definitely make him regret pissing you off." She grinned wickedly, and I grinned with her.

"I like the sound of that. What is it?" Maya motioned for Sara, Kase, and I to lean towards her, and she whispered her suggestion to us. The three of us sat back, all with wild looks on our faces.

"I'm so doing that to Kit," I growled eagerly, and Kase grinned.

"You know, this might be like when I was little. When I was fifteen, we started the first prank war here. I think this might start another."

"Really?" Maya and Sara looked at each other for a moment before getting identical grins on their faces, and I was briefly reminded of the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland. "That might not be so bad."

"Boys versus girls, probably." I glanced at Kase, and she nodded in confirmation. "We'd be outnumbered."

"So?" Kase leaned forward, elbows on her knees. "There's a reason why I'm the leader of this team and not Len. And I know that the reason for you being the leader is because you're smart, Lyra. Boys have strength, girls have intelligence."

I leaned back into the couch, grinning just like the Cheshire Cat. "Yeah. And believe me, we'll use it."

Kase stood, and so did Maya, Sara, and I. "Come on. I know exactly where we can get the supplies."

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(Kit's POV)

I woke up, yawning and rolling over. Lyra was still sound asleep, her breathing soft. I smirked, laughing to myself for a moment as I remembered the look on her face when I'd given her to the other girls on a silver platter. Oh, she had not been happy.

I got up, grabbing a change of clothes and walking into the bathroom to clean up. Turning the water on, I adjusted it, knowing that I had plenty of time. Lyra had taken a shower the previous night, so I didn't need to worry about her banging on the door and demanding for me to hurry up.

Getting it, I reached for the shampoo and noticed the color for the first time. Pinkish white. Hmm. Odd. Oh well, it didn't mean anything. After all, there were weirder colors.

I got out about ten minutes later, drying off. I glanced in the mirror and noted that my hair was a bit brighter than usual. Dismissing the worry, I threw on my clothes and brushed my teeth, walking out of the bathroom. Lyra's bed was made, which wasn't a surprise. She'd probably gone to practice the Seven Forms somewhere. I wasn't really worried.

I started getting worried when I walked through the halls and was met with snickers. Immediately, I decided to make a detour to Len's room, feeling more and more worried by the moment. Kase and Len were talking inside, and when Kase saw me, she got up, laughing softly to herself as she left the room. Len took one look at me, gaped for a moment, and then yanked me in, slamming the door shut behind him.

"Kit! What the hell-Are you crazy? Why're you walking around like that?" I stared at Len, feeling fear pool up inside of me.

"Len? What are you talking about?" My voice was shaky, and Len grabbed my arm, pulling me into his bathroom. I caught sight of myself in the mirror and yelped, horrified by the sight that awaited me.

My hair was _**bright pink.**_

"Kit, seriously, did you not know?" Len sounded worried, and I nodded wordlessly. I put a hand to my hair, trying to figure out how this could've happened. Then, it hit me like a ton of bricks as Len raised his eyebrows.

"_Lyra._ Aw son of a-This is payback, revenge for me telling the girls where she was yesterday!" I exclaimed, stunned that my sister would've done something so horrible to me to get me back. Seriously, this wasn't funny. I heard snickering, and I whirled on Len, glowering at him coldly. "Not funny, elder!"

Len forced himself to sober up, shaking his head. "It is. She was pissed, and this gives you exactly the perfect reason to look for payback yourself." He grinned widely. "Don't you see? We've been talking about all sorts of pranks for the past few weeks, and I bet that Kase, Sara, and Maya helped Lyra come up with that idea. This is the perfect reason to start a prank war."

I turned to look at myself in the mirror. "I look like a male version of Sakura."

"Not quite. If you had slightly longer hair-" Len was cut off as I whipped around again, throwing a punch at him. He ducked, grabbing my arm and bending it back. "Easy, rookie," he murmured as I grunted, trying to get out of his grip. "Do you want payback?" I nodded. "Then stop trying to attack me. We boys beat Kase at this game years ago. We can beat the girls this time. After all, we do outnumber them."

I sighed, and Len let go. "Fine. But first thing's first-I'm finding out just how long this stuff can remain in your hair. I'm going to be pissed if it lasts a long time."

"The fading would make you look even worse. You'll probably have to let it grow out." I glowered at him, and he raised his hands in defense. "Just saying!"

I stalked out, and I caught sight of my sister and Kase giggling in the hallway.

"Perfect idea, Kas-Hey, Kit! Nice hair!" Lyra broke out laughing, doubling over, and I lunged, grabbing her collar and shoving her against the wall.

"How long until this stuff washes out?" I demanded, and she raised her eyebrows.

"Like I'm telling you. Besides, I didn't pay attention to that," Lyra taunted. I got in her face, making her smirk.

"Tell me." When she didn't, I pleaded. "_Please!"_

"Oh, a month or so." That's it, could I please Vent her now? Please, pretty please? She was dead.

"You're kidding," I replied bluntly, and Kase broke in.

"She isn't, Kit. The fastest way to get it out would be to dye your hair back to your original color. Sorry," Kase stated, making me pale and stumble back. A _month?_ I had to go walking around with pink hair like some idiot for a _month?_

"You're going to regret this," I promised, and Lyra snorted.

"You started it by betraying me."

"You're so on."


	5. Prank War 2: The War Begins!

Well, here's Part 2 of the Prank War. Enjoy! (I don't own KRDK!)

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Let the War Begin! (Kit's POV)

I sat in Len's bedroom with all of the other guys as we tried to think of ways to get the girls. I had been snickered at for several minutes, and it was only after Goldenheart threatened to get the soap and turn everyone's hair pink that the snickering abruptly ended. Now, we all were trying to come up with as many ways as possible to prank the girls.

"I have an idea," Adam began slowly. We all turned to look at him, and he hesitated before saying softly, "Water balloons."

"Water balloons? Come on, Adam, what could we do with those?" Cam countered shortly. Ian smirked.

"What if we fill them up with something else? Say….oh, I don't know, what would tick the girls off?" Adam looked around at all of us, expecting answers, and I sighed, trying to think of the one thing that would really agitate them.

_Paint….nah, not very original…Feathers? What could we do with that…oh my gosh. Perfect!_

"Guys." I was grinning like that darned Cheshire Cat, I just knew it. "I have the perfect idea."

Len leaned forward from where he was sitting, his elbows on his knees. "From the way you're grinning, I have the feeling that it'll be a good prank. What are you considering?"

"Well…" I explained the prank, and then Chance grinned.

"I can think of many ways to do this prank..." We all nodded, grinning eagerly.

"So," Hunt said. "Should we go get the supplies?"

"Yeah," Len replied. "Hunt, Pryce, Adam, Chance, I want you four to go get the supplies we need. The rest of us will set up the supplies we have. Are the girls practicing the Seven Forms outside today?" He finished, turning to look at me. I nodded.

"Yeah. They are. Why?" I asked, cocking my head to the side. Len snorted, putting his arm around my shoulder.

"Because I know the perfect balcony to use."

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(Kase's POV)

I sighed as I walked through the halls with the Maya, Sarah, and Lyra. We were heading outside to practice the Seven Forms together. Sarah was still slightly shaky, but Maya and Lyra were doing great, from what I'd heard. Me? I'd have to work at it again, seeing as it had been almost two and a half months since I'd done the Forms. It wouldn't take long to remember, though.

We were walking under one of the balconies when balloons fell on us, covering us, not in water, but molasses. I wiped my hand over my face, getting some of the molasses off so that I could glower up at my husband, who was grinning like the freaking Cheshire Cat. That devil.

"Not funny, Len!" I hollered back up, only to duck my head when I saw more things headed towards us. I threw my arms over my head, trying to figure out what, for Void's sake, they could throw at us when we were already soaked in the sticky molasses. I saw yellow, pink, blue, green….What were those things falling down towards us? I couldn't tell, and it didn't make any sense.

And then I realized what it was.

Feathers.

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(Len's POV, earlier)

I snuck through the halls with Kit, Adam, and Nolan, all of us holding huge garbage bags full of multi-colored feathers. Problem was, we needed to sneak past Master Eubulon. I doubted that he would be pleased if he found out what we were doing, which meant we had to be extra secretive.

Finally, we reached the balcony, and then we waited for the others to show up. They had decided that making the balloons full of molasses would be easier than sneaking garbage bags past Master Eubulon. I snickered inwardly, wondering how they were going to get the balloons here.

Finally, I heard Chance's soft swearing and Pryce's muttered curses as the two of them came with Hunt, Cam, Ian, Van, Chase, Chris, and the rest of the lot. We all were feeling childishly excited, something that we rarely felt nowadays. Grinning at one another, we sat back, waiting.

The chatter of Maya and Sarah alerted us of the girls coming out. Kase and Lyra were walking slightly ahead of the other two girls, looking at each other and shaking their heads, smiling gently. I grabbed two large balloons, holding them in my hands before mouthing, "One…..Two….Three!" I tossed the balloons, hearing them hit Kase. I heard Sarah and Maya shriek and saw Kase wipe her hand down her face, glowering up at me.

"Not funny, Len!" She yelled, her eyes blazing with fury. I snorted, doubling over for a moment and laughing along with the others as Lyra shrieked at Kit, her gray-blue eyes murderous. Then, we dumped the feathers, and Kase covered her head with her arms, thinking that we were sending more molasses down. I saw Lyra's horrified realization at what was going on, saw her try to run, and then I heard Kit snicker as Nolan focused, using the small amount of telekinetic power that he had to make it impossible for the girls to walk or run. Lyra struggled as we sent more molasses down to cover the feathers, and as we did, Akeona chose that moment to fly over. Kit threw a ball at her, knocking her to the ground.

The Advent Beast let out a shriek of outrage, glowering up at Kit. _**"I can understand doing that to your sister. But now that you've gotten me involved, well…"**_

Kit took a couple steps back, seeming to realize he had bitten off a bit more than he could chew. Akeona swung her wing, getting molasses all over, not just Kit, but the rest of us as well. We all yelped and jumped back, stumbling over one another. On top of that, I crumpled into the feathers, getting red and blue and green feathers all over me.

"Backfire!" I heard the girls all yell, and then they started laughing.

"That's it," Kit and Adam growled at the same time. "This is war."

We all tossed more balloons down, only to have them intercepted by Akeona and Blanquewing, who were helping their Riders and tossing the balloons right back at us. I leapt onto Blackwing, grabbing a few balloons. Kit was next to me on Goldenheart, who was looking more brown than gold. Lyra and Kase leapt up onto Akeona and Blanquewing, managing to steal a few balloons and throw them at Chance, Hunt, and Adam. Adam leapt onto Dragradder, looking for revenge.

Throughout all of this, we didn't notice the figure in black watching us from the shadows, chuckling.


	6. Prank War 3: Who?

Who? (Third Person)

The figure stood in the shadows, smiling slightly to himself as the Advent Beasts crept up to him. "You know what to do, correct?"

_**"Course!"**_ The silver griffin whispered back eagerly. Her tail swished from side to side as she took the bottle he gave her, grinning wickedly at the golden cynogriffon that was next to her. The golden Advent Beast snickered, her body quivering as she leapt into the air, flying to her Rider's room, ready to help set up the prank.

The figure smirked, giving out similar bottles to the other Advent Beasts that had assembled, fighting back the urge to laugh. Oh, the Ventarran Riders really had forgotten, hadn't they?

* * *

Kit jerked awake when he felt something tickling his nose. He raised a hand, intending to smack whatever it was, and felt something else stick to his face.

_What the-_

Kit sat up slowly, lowering his hand. It was covered in shaving cream, surprise, surprise. He narrowed his eyes, glancing over at his sister and raising his eyebrows when he saw shaving cream in her hand as well. Confused, Kit kicked the covers off, walking into the bathroom to wash the cream off his hand and face. Seconds later, he heard his sister's yelp of anger, and she came in and smacked him on the head.

"What was that for?" Kit rubbed his head, giving his sister a sharp look.

"You put shaving cream in my hand and got Akeona to-Wait a second, is that shaving cream on your hand too?" She grabbed his arm by the wrist, staring at it in shock.

"Yes," Kit replied slowly. "You didn't do this?"

Lyra shook her head, looking up at her brother in confusion. "Then…who did?"

A bang on the door made both siblings walk out of the bathroom to stare at several of the others, all of whom had shaving cream in their hands and on their faces. "You too?" Len exclaimed.

"Did this happen to everyone?" Lyra inquired, raising her eyebrows. Kase nodded.

"Yeah. Everyone. None of us can figure it out."

Glances were exchanged before they shrugged. "Maybe someone just decided to try and throw us off," Chance muttered, walking back to his room. "The war isn't over yet!"

"Oh, far from it," Lyra promised sternly.

* * *

Lyra smirked as she slipped into the stall, closing the door. The lights were off, and the prank was in place. Kase had dared the guys to do Bloody Mary, and they had agreed, planning on heading to the Common's bathroom at midnight to do it. The girls had snickered quietly, planning on hiding so that they could scare the guys outta their minds.

The four girls were hidden in the stalls, and the boys shuffled in, barely managing to fit. They all were murmuring to one another, obviously uneasy about doing this.

"Seriously, this is dumb," Cam muttered.

"Yeah, but the girls did dare us. No point in making them think we're scaredy cats," Len replied. He sighed, and then the group started to speak as one.

"Bloody Mary….Bloody Mary…..Bloody Mary."

The four girls silently unlocked the stall doors, and they leapt, making the already-tense Riders yelp, scrambling to get the lights.

"The lights, the lights!" Adam squeaked, flipping the switch. When nothing happened, he tried again, moving almost desperately.

"Why aren't the lights turning on?" Kit stammered, voice shaking. "Lyra, I know you girls are in here-why isn't it turning on?"

Kase shoved past Adam, flipping the switch several times. "We didn't do this!" she insisted, her voice shrill as she started to panic.

"Fine, then. Let's just get out of here," Nolan sighed, walking to the door. He tried to turn the knob and let out a soft whimper when it didn't move. He gripped the knob, yanking hard and trying to open the door. Stumbling back, he cried out, "Guys! We're stuck!"

"WHAT?" At least twelve voices yelped, and then all the Riders charged the door, trying to open it. Horrified yells emanated from the room.

"Open it up!"

"Someone help!"

"Come on, this isn't funny!"

Chris and Len kicked the door as hard as they could, knowing that it should break or at the very least, move a little bit. It didn't even budge. It was then that Cam, Van, Kase, and Sarah let out horrified screams, making all the others whirl around towards the mirrors.

"There are faces in the mirrors!" Sarah screeched, hurtling to the door and pounding on it. Jaws dropped as the faces became vivid images, and then the others were pounding on the door as well. It suddenly opened, and they all bolted out, slamming the door shut behind them. Several collapsed on the ground, others on the couches. Some leaned against the wall, trying to get their breathing under control. Chris glowered at the girls.

"Okay, very funny. Who took out the lights and messed with the door?" he demanded.

"None of us!" the girls exclaimed in unison. "We were just going to scare you guys when you said Bloody Mary! We weren't planning to scare ourselves," Maya finished.

"They have a point, Chris," Hunt pointed out. "Why the hell would they scare themselves?"

Silence fell, and someone asked the question, "Then who did it?"

* * *

The figure was huddled in the corner, laughing silently to himself. "Oh, they really do forget sometimes. It's worth it," he murmured, watching the Riders' reactions to having been trapped in a bathroom with faces in the mirror.

The Advent Beasts slipped into the room, sitting next to him as the light blue lynx looked up at him. _**"So…Do you need us to do anything?"**_

"No," he whispered in response. "Everything is set up. The prank war will be over tomorrow."

* * *

(Kit's POV)

All of us were cranky and tired when we woke up the next morning. I don't think any of us had gotten to bed before two or three, still shaken from the Bloody Mary incident. Now, we were in the room Len and I shared, trying to come up with some plan to prank the girls.

"I'm coming up blank," Ian stated drearily. A couple nods followed his comment, and I yawned, trying to figure out something-_anything-_to use as a prank. Nothing was coming to mind, no matter how hard I tried.

"What if we do to them what they did to you, Kit?" Van suddenly spoke. Heads turned to stare at him in confusion, and I blinked.

"What?"

"They dyed your hair. We can do the same."

I moaned. "Van, it won't work-"

"Yes, it will. All we need to do is figure out a way to get dye into the pool by the time they go to swim later this morning," Ian added, catching onto Van's idea. Len and Adam shot them confused looks, frowning.

"If we poured it in, it'd change the color of the water. They'd know that something was up," Len stated cautiously. Cam grinned viciously in response.

"Not when Kit changes it back to its normal color."

I raised my hands, standing up and backing away. "Oh no. No, no, no, no, no. Hell no. I don't have that kind of control over Water yet," I protested.

"Aw come on, Kit," Len teased gently. "I bet you could do it to get your sister back for your hair!" We both glanced up at the pink mess before I nodded reluctantly.

"Fine," I grumbled. "But we are not dying their hair pink."

"Good," Chris sighed in relief. "If I had to stare at multiple heads of bright pink for a month, I'd go crazy. No offense to you, Kit," he added hastily at the end. "It's just-"

"I know. Ask Len -I think I spent two hours trying to get this dumb stuff outta my hair a couple nights ago. It only succeeded in fading it. And it didn't fade much." My voice was rueful by the end, and I glanced upwards at the nightmare that was my hair again. "Still," I continued, "it's going to cost a lot if we want to spread it throughout the whole pool. We don't have the time to wait for a salon to open."

"I can fix that right away," Cam chuckled. He pulled a couple bags up, making our jaws drop as he pulled out bottles of dye. "Don't ask," he added, glancing at us and seeing our looks.

"I'm not," Adam and I chorused. "It's white?" Cam nodded, looking quite pleased with himself.

"Yep. So, Len, Kit, you two think you can handle it?"

"Yeah," Len stated. "We'd better hurry though-otherwise, we might be in trouble."

I sighed, muttering to myself, "Why do I have the feeling that my sis is gonna come up with something similar to this?"

* * *

(Kase's POV)

"White dye should work in the pool, since it can be disguised easily," Lyra explained, earning several eager nods from the rest of us girls.

"Sounds like fun, doesn't it?" Sarah was grinning like the Cheshire Cat again. "Oooh, Lyra, can I help you, please? Pretty please?"

"Sure," the youngest Rider replied. Maya piped up then, voicing a concern.

"What if they don't go in the pool today? We need a backup plan incase." It was logical and reasonable, and I thought about all that extra molasses from the prank pulled on us by the boys.

"Simple." My voice was amused as I put a hand to my chin. "Leave that to me." Three heads turned to meet my gaze, and the others grabbed the bottles of dye that we'd found earlier, taking the long route to the pool.

* * *

(Third Person)

He sat in the shadows of his room, looking at the replica with great interest. He scratched a few more symbols into it, glancing at the Void Key that sat on the table next to him.

"Almost done," he whispered to himself, holding the replica up for a better look. "When this is done, I can go and pull that prank on them. Thank the Void that Kit and Lyra are siblings who have similar trains of thought."

* * *

(Two hours later…)

The two groups of pranksters sat on opposite sides of the pool, hidden in the shadows as they waited for their counterparts to go for a swim.

"What's taking so long?" Kit whispered to Len.

"Dunno," Len murmured back, glancing out again. "They should be here by now."

The girls were wondering the exact same thing.

"The boys should've been in the pool ages ago!" Sarah fumed. "What is taking them so doggone long?"

"Something's up," Kase figured, glancing at the pool again. "At least the backup plan is in place."

"Yeah," Lyra agreed.

A splash gained both groups' attention, and multiple heads swiveled to hear Master Eubulon's agitated curse. "Dammit. The Void Key won't like that water," he grumbled, walking in rapidly. He shucked his jacket off, crouching near the water. "I gotta go in and get it out before too much damage is done."

"Oh no!"

"He can't-"

"Oh shit-"

"NOOOOOOO! STOP!" The two groups burst out of their hiding places, freezing mid-step when they saw their rivals.

"Crap," the girls whimpered.

"Shit," the boys moaned.

Master Eubulon turned to look at all the Riders, lined up in front of him to stop him from diving in. "What?" he inquired, looking utterly confused. "What is so important that I can't go in to get the Void Key?."

Babbled replies stammered out answers.

"Well, you see-"

"The water's not…quite right-"

"Something's wrong with the water-"

"Let one of us go get it-"

"Water compromised-"

He shook his head, pushing past. "What happened to you guys to get you this worked up?" He looked like he was about to dive in, and the Riders began to surge forward, only to find themselves flying into the dyed water, pushed by telekinesis.

White-haired heads popped up, staring at the Advent Master in confusion. Their mentor was grinning, shaking his head in amusement as he watched them. "Len, Kase, did you two really forget exactly how this ended last time? I'm disappointed, Riders."

Realization dawned on all their faces, and Cam moaned. "You had the dye hidden! You wanted us to do this!"

"Exactly. I knew that you would find it, and I knew that the girls would find theirs." Master Eubulon stood up, smiling as he pulled the Void Key out of his pocket. "That, in the water, is a replica. I wasn't planning on going in." He turned, walking towards the door, and the girls let out screeched cries.

"NO! Don-" Kase and Maya didn't get the warning out in time. The trap had been tripped.

Master Eubulon looked up in time to see a large bucket of molasses topple, coating him in the dark liquid. He turned, spitting out a glob of molasses before giving the girls a confused look. "I didn't have that in mind."

For one long moment, there was silence. Then, laughter filled the air, reminding the Riders that, even though they could get on one another's nerves, they were a family. And it also reminded them that even though Master Eubulon was their mentor, even he could pull a prank.

End


	7. Chapter 7: Death

Hey, guys! I know this isn't an update to the main story, but things have been hectic at my place. An old family friend died just last week, and after that, I got this little plot bunny that just refused to leave me alone. I hope you guys like it. :)

* * *

Death (Callen's POV)

It all happened so fast that I didn't know what had happened at first. After being taken down with the bullet, Maya had rapidly taken care of the wound, extracting the bullet and healing the wound. Then, after that, I felt panic through Kit's side of the Advent Bond, and without thinking, I summoned an Advent Portal, my armor flying on without words. I heard Tylan's screech of warning, and then I felt Advent Beasts attacking me, trying to reach Kit. My sword rushed to my hand, and I blocked off one but then felt harshest snap rush through my spine when my armor flickered, making me choke out, "Kit. Get outta here now!"

"Callen." Kit's voice was horrified, and I knew that his eyes had to be wide under his visor. I felt uncontrolled rage boil inside him, and then he was surrounded with Light, bright and brilliant. It whipped around Kit, angry and furious, and he used that to lash out, disintegrating any mirror monster within a pretty big radius. It was then that my armor vanished, and I became aware that Kit was catching me, cradling me in his arms while Tylan rushed to my side, whimpering fearfully. Kit's armor snapped away, and I saw the horrified look of pain and fear on his face as tears ran down his face, wracking his body with sobs. "No. No."

His sobs shifted my body only slightly, but it was enough to crack something else. Then, I tried to move my legs, desperate to get comfortable so that I could calm him down. When my legs didn't move, I let out a terrified mix of a scream and a yelp, making the horror on his face even worse. "My legs." The whisper was a rasp now, weak and fearful. "I can't feel them." Something in my mind whispered that I had broken more than one part of my spine, and I realized it was Kit, his thoughts loud as he lost control of the barriers hiding them.

_"No,"_ Tylan whimpered, and as my gaze met his, we both knew that this was the end of our Contract. I was dying. _"No, I can't."_ He'd caught onto the tail end of my thoughts, and I silently begged with my eyes, pleading.

"It's fine," Kit whispered, his voice thick with unshed tears. "You're gonna be fine." I gave him one of the looks that I'd always given him when I knew he was giving me bullshit and prepared to chew him out as best as I could.

"Don't tell me that crap, Kit. We both –" A shudder tore through my body, and I rolled over at the waist, hacking violently. I covered my mouth with my hand, feeling liquid splatter it, and as the pain started to seep through the adrenaline, I realized it wasn't just my spine that was broken. A rib or two had to have been broken and had punctured a lung. I pulled my hand away, finally giving up and just coughing my head off, feeling like I was about to pass out. I felt the bond with Tylan weaken, heard him whimper, and then I rolled over as best I could, slumping in Kit's arms.

"Promise me one thing, Kit." I didn't have much time, and both of us knew that. Kit's hand brushed my hair, smoothing it down like Mama had when I was little, and I leaned into it for the briefest second, feeling a sudden wave of calm rush through me like the adrenaline that had only minutes earlier. "When you get to Ventarra – and _**don't**_, don't you _**dare**_ say you won't, Kit Marcus Taylor – give the Gauntlet to Len. It'll respond to him, right, Tylan?" I turned my head just enough, about to scream from the pain that came from the little movement. Tylan nodded, giving in to my orders.

"_Yes,"_ my partner, my Advent Beast, sobbed, _"But only because he's the only other one that I would ever think to choose as my Rider."_ We both knew that wasn't true, knew it was because he was the one that I had requested he bond with next, but Kit needn't know that.

"Then give him it, Kit," I rasped, a shuddering breath ripping through me and making me rasp. "Swear it; swear it on your Gauntlet."

I saw the way Kit's head shook, his eyes closing as he silently begged. "Callen, no, anything but that. Len will never, _ever_ be able to take your place," Kit whispered, his face tear-streaked, eyes red.

"Kit, please," I whispered, using my eyes to beg. When he had nodded, I continued, "Promise me one other thing, too."

"What?" He said that as he got caught in between sobs, and his voice cracked.

"Don't mourn me for long." I knew that he was about to protest, but I plowed on. "The team needs you as the strength, the heart of it. Don't let them down. We both know Earth's fate already, even though I know you don't want to admit it to yourself yet. Don't let Ventarra fall to the same one." I raised my hand, wincing from the pain that came from the movement, placing it on his cheek to force him to meet my gaze.

"I promise."

That was all I needed to hear. I smiled weakly, letting my head rest on his shoulder. In my mind, it felt ironic that he was holding me like I had held him when he was a little boy, but I could tell from the way my head was spinning, from the way the Gauntlet was slowly losing its grip on my arm, that my time was up. I just needed to get this last little bit out. "My only regret is that I can't say goodbye to the others. Kit, tell them, will you?" I wanted to hear his response, but I knew that time wasn't going to allow it. "I love you, my brother. Take care of yourself."

I closed my eyes then, letting go. The Contract broke, shattering in the Advent Void as it became null and void. I knew that the Gauntlet had to be falling from my hand and knew that Kit had to be sobbing, breaking down. But I couldn't do a thing. I couldn't draw in a breath anymore; I couldn't move. Blackness enveloped me, and I waited for emptiness like the Advent Void to pull me in.

* * *

"Cal, wake up." I blinked, and the face above me swam into view. Light brown hair, a stocky build. Warm eyes that had been like that of an older brother to me for so long that it hurt.

"Vic!" I shot upright, my head whipping from side to side. "Where – "

His hand covered my mouth, and warm laughter filled the air. "Relax, Cal." Vic's arm went around mine, pulling me to my feet. "Let's go."

"Where?" We were in a disorienting whiteness, like a blizzard, and as my senses came back, I shivered, realizing that it was indeed a blizzard. Vic clucked his tongue, wrapping a long, warm cloak around me, wrapping one arm around my shoulders.

"You'll see."

Through the white haze, I couldn't see anything. Then, after what felt like forever, a building came into view. Vic ushered me through the thick back door, a door that had a frosted glass inside framed with beautiful cherry wood. My attention was quickly pulled back to the present as Vic removed my cloak, making me realize that my clothes had changed to warm moccasins, jeans, and a dark navy turtleneck. "Vic?" The voice sounded vaguely familiar, and it had sounded like it had come from the other room. Vic grinned, pulling me along with him into a splendid kitchen where a woman was cooking. And from the smell of it, I just knew. "Did you bring him home?"

The woman turned around from the oven, allowing me to see a slender frame with auburn hair and my dark brown eyes. Those eyes were sparkling, and I saw the grin split her face. "Hey, sweetie."

"Mom." I sounded like I was about three, but I could've cared less. I flung myself forward into her open arms, and she laughed, the rich sound tinkling in the room with tall ceilings, surprising for a kitchen. I felt her squeeze me tight, much like she had when I was ten, not long before she'd been killed. I pulled back, my jaw dropped. "How-"

"Long story." This voice was a man's, and I nearly went down on my knees as he walked in. He had my dark brown hair, a grizzled beard, and blue-gray eyes, the trait that went through the Taylor family. I hadn't inherited them, getting Mom's, but he had never minded. Tall and muscular, my dad came over, pulling both Mom and I into hugs. "Welcome home, son. We've been waiting for you to join us."

"What about Kit? And all the others? Where-" My mind was filling with questions, but a gentle voice cut me off.

"Relax, Callen. They'll join us when the time comes." Marian stepped forward, Teylar's arm around her waist. "Frank'll be here soon, though." Eyes dulled, and I realized what that meant.

"But he can't! They need him!" My mother let out a soothing murmur at that, pulling me close. I leaned my head on her shoulder, soaking in the warmth and comfort of being in the presence of my loved ones.

"They'll be fine on their own. It's time they leave the nest, anyway." Teylar's voice was calm and soothing, easing my frayed nerves. "Now, your mother has cooked up some wonderful smelling cookies and cupcakes. Why don't we have some of those?"

Almost immediately, everyone had let out a chorus of, "Yeah!" I joined in, eager to taste Mom's cooking again. It had been so long it was scary, and even though Frank's death was imminent, it was hard to not be drawn into the warm atmosphere of love and peace.

* * *

Later, as the sky darkened, the blizzard hadn't let up. I was curled up in one of the chairs with a cup of hot chocolate in my hands, and Vic sat next to me, quietly explaining why the blizzard was still going on. "According to Marian, whenever someone's about to die, the blizzard acts up. It doesn't help that it's winter, so there's pretty much always snow, but this is a nightmare."

"Who greeted you?" I asked softly, sipping at the chocolate. Vic grinned, his eyes amused.

"Your dad. Most of the time, it's known who will come home next, so the appropriate person is chosen."

"Who's going to bring Frank home, then?"

"We were thinking of letting you two, actually." Mom's voice floated through the doorway, her eyes light and amused. I heard footsteps and then heard my name squealed as my little sister came rushing in, her gray-blue eyes excited.

"You shoulda told me Brother was home!" Lily had been only six when she'd been diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and despite the vigorous treatments and growing survival rate, she'd died when she was nine. While here, she'd grown up into a young teenager, but thankfully, she didn't have to mood swings (at least, according to Mom. I was skeptical) "When did you get here?"

"Not long. Now hush! Mom was telling me and Vic something!" I couldn't help teasing her a little, and she quieted down almost instantly, burrowing herself in the crook of one of my arms.

"Oh don't worry, Cal." Dad's voice was light and pleasant, and he continued on, "Frank'll be here in the morning. Why don't you and Vic get up early and bring him?"

"Sounds good," Vic and I chorused, and we exchanged looks before heading up to bed early, wanting to have plenty of energy for the trek.

* * *

Frank was lying near where I had been when we found him. His eyes were closed, his breathing even, and I knelt in the snow next to him while Vic stayed standing. "Hey, Frank. Wake up," I whispered softly, lightly shaking his shoulder. He stirred, and Vic and I both waited, grinning when his eyes opened. They were confused, but the confusion turned to shock when he saw us.

"What are you two doing here?" Frank inquired, sitting up slowly. I wrapped the cloak around him, using Fire to warm in a bit.

"We're here to take you home."


End file.
